Wall paneling system

ABSTRACT

Aluminum wall paneling system featuring panels capable of being arranged in a variety of patterns and including deep contoured face panels which when used by themselves form a solar wall, back panels which when used with the face panels form a baffled flange arrangement permitting entrance of air and diffused light between the panels while presenting a solid front appearance, furring channels accepting the face and back panels and also roll form paneling of different design and lock channels for snapping within the furring channels securing various combinations of the aforementioned panels in place while permitting their removal, when desired.

United States Patent Heirich [4 1 June 6, 1972 [54] WALL PANELING SYSTEM William C. Heirich, 2912 Wauhilah Drive, Muskogee, Okla. 74401 [72] Inventor:

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,116,533 5/1938 McCabe 52/497 X 2,382,761 8/1945 Wilks 52/498 X 2,612,244 9/ l 952 Kiefer ..52/498 3,410,043 1 l/l 968 Rijnders ..52/494 X 3,471,187 10/1969 Riseborough ..52/463 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 341,298 11/1959 Switzerland ..52/468 Primary Examiner-Price C. Faw, Jr. Attorney-Irons, Sears, Staas, Halsey & Santorelli [5 7] ABSTRACT Aluminum wall paneling system featuring panels capable of being arranged in a variety of patterns and including deep contoured face panels which when used by themselves form a solar wall, back panels which when used with the face panels form a bafiled flange arrangement permitting entrance of air and diffused light between the panels while presenting a solid front appearance, furring channels accepting the face and back panels and also roll form paneling of different design and lock channels for snapping within the furring channels securing various combinations of the aforementioned panels in place while permitting their removal, when desired.

1 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUH 6 I972 33. 667. 183

mvmvron WILLIAM C. HEIRICH PAIENTEDJun 6 I972 3, 6.67, 1 83 SHEET 2 or 3 FIG 2 INVENTOR WILLIAM C. HEIRICH SHEET 3 OF 3 F/GI 5 mvsmon WILLIAM C. HEIRICH WALL PANELING SYSTEM BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to aluminum wall paneling systems adaptable to new construction and the modernization of older buildings.

A wall paneling system presently enjoying commercial success is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,300,926, issued Jan. 31, 1967, and entitled WALL PANELING SYSTEM. This wall paneling system employs interlocking flanges which are disclosed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,226,891, issued Jan. 4, 1966, and entitled CANOPIES.

The aluminum exterior wall paneling system of the present invention features individual deep contoured or sculptured panels arranged in a variety of patterns providing exciting new architectural facade designs. The individual deep contoured panels may be assembled in horizontal or vertical patterns with or without back panels depending upon whether an open vent or solid front appearance is desired. The deep contoured panels of the present invention can be assembled as a complete wall or used in conjunction with the roll paneling disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,300,926.

The deep contoured panels are supported on a framework of aluminum furring channels designed to accept the flanges of the deep contoured face panels and their mating back panels, as well as the roll paneling interlocking flanges disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,226,891 and 3,300,926. Resilient lock channels snap in place and hold the panel flanges in the furring channels, permitting removal or rearrangement of panels when desired. The furring channels are secured to the existing building wall or other supporting structure with bracket assemblies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating insertion of adjacent sculptured face and back panels within the furring channel and the lock channel prior to being snapped in place;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation illustrating an architectural facade achieved by sculptured face panels and roll form panels mounted side by side;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation illustrating spaced sculptured face panels and intermediate back panel;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the flanges of adjacent face and back sculptured panels secured within the furring channel by the lock channel and the bracket assembly securing the furring channel to the supporting structure;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the flange of a sculptured face panel and the female flange of a roll form panel adjacently secured within the furring channel;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the flange of a sculptured face panel and the male flange of a roll form panel adjacently secured within the furring channel,

FIG. 7 is a front elevation illustrating sculptured face panels spaced apart along the furring channel with a specially designed clip partially hidden by the lock channel; and

FIG. 8 is a side view of a lock channel illustrating a cut-out portion applicable for use with the clip illustrated in FIG. 7 to cover same.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The exterior wall paneling system disclosed herein features sculptured face panels 10 which may be assembled in a variety of patterns to achieve varying architectural facade designs. Face panels 10 may be arranged horizontally or vertically. Assembled face panels 10 form a solar wall with vents between adjoining edges, as seen in FIG. 2. When desired, back panels 12 are positioned behind face panels 10, as seen in FIG. 3, to form a bafiled flange arrangement with face panels 10 permitting air and diffused light to enter between the panels while presenting a solid front appearance.

Face panels 10 and back panels 12 are supported on a framework of aluminum furring channels 14 which, in turn, are secured to a building wall 16 or other supporting structure with bracket assemblies 18. Adjustable mounting brackets may be employed to permit installation of the panels out from the building wall, where needed to clear offsets or other wall obstructions. For information regarding bracket assemblies and adjustable mounting brackets generally applicable to the present invention, reference is made to my co-pending application, Ser. No. 818,317, filed Apr. 22, 1969, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,082 and entitled BRACKETS FOR SECURING SUPPORTING STRUCTURE TO A WALL.

Furring channels 14 each include, as seen in FIG. 6, a central wall 20 and forward, spaced arms 22 connected by side walls 24. On the other side of the back wall 20 is located rear wall 26 terminating in flange 28. A second flange 30 protrudes from central wall 20.

Bracket assemblies 18 each include, as seen in FIG. 6, a flat portion 32 secured to the building wall or other support 16 by bolt 34, an intermediate portion 36 and an end portion 38 terminating in flanges 40 and 42.

Each furring channel 14 is snapped in place about bracket assembly 18 by positioning flange 28 of furring channel 14 over flange 42 of bracket assembly 18, afterwhich flange 30 of furring channel 14 is forced over flange 40 of bracket assembly l8.

Adjacent sculptured face panels 10 and 10, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, are provided with identical locking flanges 44 and 44', respectively, terminating in flat sections 46 and 46. As adjacent face panels 10 and 10 are positioned within furring channel 14, locking flanges 44 and 44' surround arms 22 of furring channel 14 and flat sections 46 and 46' abut, section 46 resting against central wall 20 of furring channel 14. Back panels 12 and 12' are provided with locking flanges 48 and 48' surrounding and abutting arms 22 on one side and mating with and abutting locking flanges 44 and 44 of face panels 10 and 10' on the other side. As will be apparent, if back panels 12 and 12' are not used, locking flanges 44 and 44' of face panels 10 and 10 abut arms 22.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, sculptured wall panels 10 are frequently used with roll form panels 50 of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,226,891 and 3,300,926. Panels 50 each include trough-like central portions 52 and curved side portions 54 which terminate in locking flanges. As seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, each roll panel 50 has a first generally overlying or female flange 56 (FIG. 5 and a second male flange 58 (FIG. 6) which is slid or snapped in place within the overlying flange of an adjacent roll form panel. For further information regarding the construction of flanges 56 and 58, attention is again directed to us. Pat. No. 3,226,891.

Furring channels 14 accommodate the overlying or female flanges 56 of roll form panels 50 as illustrated in FIG. 5, and the male flanges 58 of roll form panels 50 as illustrated in FIG. .6. In each case, the locking flange 44 of a sculptured face panel 10 is positioned within the appropriate furring channel 14 such that flat section 46 thereof abuts central wall 20. Then, either the female flange 56 or male flange 58 of a roll form panel 50 is positioned within furring channel 14 so as to rest upon the flat section 46 of the locking flange 44 of the sculptured face panel 10.

Lock channels 60 include curvilinear arms 62 which are compressed manually to permit insertion within furring channels 14 to secure all panel locking flanges in place. In like manner, lock channels 60 are removed by compressing the curvilinear arms 62.

As will now be apparent, installation consists of installing furring channels 14, usually on 3 foot centers, by mounting directly to the building wall or other supporting structure 16 with bracket assemblies 18. Alternatively, adjustable brackets may be used to mount furring channels 14 up to 24 inches from the building wall 16 if it is necessary to clear offsets or other wall obstructions. The flanges of the sculptured face and back panels 10 and 12 and roll form panels 50 are positioned within furring channels 14, in the desired combination, after which lock channels 60 are snapped in place securing all panels within furring channels 14.

Face panels are spaced apart, usually 1 inches, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Note in FIG. 3 that locking flanges 48 of back panels 12 are cut and the section 64 defined between cuts bent so as to permit the locking flanges 44 of face panels 10 to be precisely spaced, as desired. Where variation in the overall paneling height is required, the spacing between panels is reduced by cutting lock channels 60. Thus, the overall height of paneling is reduced by the amount the lock channels 60 are shortened.

When back panels 12 are not used, clips 70, illustrated in FIG. 7, are snapped in place over the arms 22 of each furring channel 14 between adjacent face panels 10 and 10'. In this manner, the sides of face panels 10 abut clips 70 ensuring proper spacing. As seen in FIG. 8, the end of each lock channel segment .60 is provided with a cut-out portion. In this manner, the remaining portion 72 of each lock channel segment 60 covers the respective clip 70, while the edge 74 abuts clip 70. The lock channel segments 60, illustrated in FIG. 3, are similarly provided with cut-out portions.

Face panels 10 may also be cut in half and used at the extremities of the paneling system.

Variation in construction and design of component parts may be envisioned without departing from the spirit of invention as defined by the sub-joined claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A paneling system, comprising:

a furring channel generally U-shaped in cross section and including arms facing inwardly from the remainder of said channel defining an opening therebetween;

adjacent panels, said panels terminating in flanges, said flanges including curvilinear portions extending from positions located outwardly of the ends of said arms to said ends and then bending around said ends and extending outwardly within said furring channel in such manner that said curvilinear portions of said flanges encompass said arms of said furring channels;

second panels located on opposite sides of said furring channel and positioned in part behind said panels, said second panels including second flanges positioned within said furring channel between said curvilinear portions of said flanges of said panels and said arms of said furring channel, said flanges of said second panels being cut at selected points and that portion of said locking flanges therebetween being bent so as to provide a support against which certain of said first panel flanges abut spacing same apart, as desired, and

a locking channel positioned between said flanges and including curvilinear portions generally complementary with respect to and engaging said curvilinear portions of said flanges of said panels along a single continuous contact area along each of said curvilinear portions of said flanges, said locking channel being flexible and nonnally wider than said opening defined by said arms of said furring channel such that after said locking channel is squeezed into position permitting same to enter said furring channel it expands outwardly biasing said curvilinear portions of said locking flanges in the direction of said arms of said furring channel. 

1. A paneling system, comprising: a furring channel generally U-shaped in cross section and including arms facing inwardly from the remainder of said channel defining an opening therebetween; adjacent panels, said panels terminating in flanges, said flanges including curvilinear portions extending from positions located outwardly of the ends of said arms to said ends and then bending around said ends and extending outwardly within said furring channel in such manner that said curvilinear portions of said flanges encompass said arms of said furring channels; second panels located on opposite sides of said furring channel and positioned in part behind said panels, said second panels including second flanges positioned within said furring channel between said curvilinear portions of said flanges of said panels and said arms of said furring channel, said flanges of said second panels being cut at selected points and that portion of said locking flanges therebetween being bent so as to provide a support against which certain of said first panel flanges abUt spacing same apart, as desired, and a locking channel positioned between said flanges and including curvilinear portions generally complementary with respect to and engaging said curvilinear portions of said flanges of said panels along a single continuous contact area along each of said curvilinear portions of said flanges, said locking channel being flexible and normally wider than said opening defined by said arms of said furring channel such that after said locking channel is squeezed into position permitting same to enter said furring channel it expands outwardly biasing said curvilinear portions of said locking flanges in the direction of said arms of said furring channel. 